The time it takes to sing the National Anthem has become a Super Bowl proposition-bet fixture and it’s fun to get a stopwatch out and time it. The bet isn’t offered by Nevada sports books (pretty much every prop they are offering, however, can be found posted at LVASports.com, but can be found at a number of offshore locations. This year’s line on the length of time it will take Idina Menzel to sing the Anthem is 2:01.
Here’s the history on this bet, listing the respective performers since 2008, the line, and the result:
2014 Renee Fleming: 2:20 - Under 2013 Alicia Keys: 2:05 - Over 2012 Kelly Clarkson: 1:34 - Over 2011 Christina Aguilera: 1:54 - Over 2010 Carrie Underwood: 1:42 - Over 2009 Jennifer Hudson: 2:04 - Over 2008 Jordin Sparks: 1:47 - Over
As with any line, there are variations in numbers, but these were the most prominent listed times each year. In 2008, the first year the prop was offered, the books had varying times from 1:47 to 1:58, mostly because they differed on the start/stop parameters for deciding the official time. Most now specify that it runs from when the first note is started (by the singer) until the final note is completed.
In the closest result in the seven-year history of the National Anthem prop, the over was the winner … at most books. In 2012, Kelly Clarkson almost hit the 1:34 mark on the button, leaving the result up to debate, though most books graded it as going a hair past.
What pops out is the 6-1 record to the over. Perhaps the performers relish their time on the enormous Super Bowl stage and schmaltz up their renditions, but you’d expect that possibility to already be discounted in the line, which it likely is, given that you have to lay -110 to bet over and -130 to bet under (under is the favorite).
In 2011, Christina Aguilera famously flubbed the lyrics, and since then there’s been a separate prop on whether or not all of the words will be sung. YES is always the favorite, with this year’s line for Menzel singing flawlessly YES/-1200 and NO/+600.
Here are some other interesting props for the game (favorite side indicated).
